Bad news and good news

Warrigal

Warrigal

SF VIP
Location
Sydney, Australia
The bad news is that a mother and baby were injured when pinned under a car driven by a 70 year old who reversed into a Newcastle (NSW) café.

The good news is that the mother would be dead had not bystanders rushed to lift the car so that she could be pulled free.
I love it when people spontaneously pitch in and co-operate to rescue people. It restores faith in humanity.

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/newcastle...m-baby-trapped-under-car-20151113-gkyv8x.html
 

I seen on our news a couple of nights ago ,someone was wanting to introduce a ...S.. For seniors a Plate similar to the learners, P plate holders for anyone over 70 can you just imagine the abuse we would cop on the road the road having to display such plates..

On the same news segment they mentioned how learner drivers are being abused , having cars cut in close in front of them them slamming n the brakes, side swiping them by passing on wrong side.
 
It should be easier to take the licence away from elderly people who are losing capacity. My auntie in Bathurst kept driving years after she should have handed her licence back. On one occasion she did something similar to the situation in the news report - when parking rear to kerb she backed up over the kerb and demolished the front window of a bakery. She was always forgetting where she parked the car and reporting it to the police as stolen. On top of that she had numerous dingles but these were never reported to the police. Having her drive you anywhere was a journey fraught with anxiety.

Her doctor tried to alert the authorities and wrote that she should be carefully tested but the old dragon wouldn't take no for an answer. When they failed her on the driving test, she would take it again and browbeat the examiner. The women would fail her and the men would take pity on her and let her keep the licence. IMO she could easily have killed someone, especially when she decided to drive down to Sydney.

On the other hand, my mother and another auntie voluntarily surrendered their licences after auntie drove through a stop sign and their car was collected and tipped over by truck. They were 65 and 67 at the time. I hope that I have the presence of mind to judge when my driving days are over, but if I don't, I hope someone will intervene for my sake and for the sake of the public.
 

I've reached the age where I need to take a medical examination each year before I can drive any more. I have no problems with that.

Only a couple more years before I have to re-sit the driving test each year. No problems with that either.

If I'm judged incompetent, I'll just have to make other arrangements.

I know my sister drove during the early stages of Alzheimer's and really shouldn't have been allowed to drive. She would go through a red light if there wasn't any other traffic coming.

The in-laws of my son are going through the battle of getting the husband to give up driving - he drives the wrong way down a one way street, or makes his own third lane on the Highway. He really should not be driving.
 
Doc just laughed when I asked about giving up driving.
I now carefully schedule driving to the malls/shopping centres, avoiding peak traffic and wet conditions.
Have decided not to enter close-by large centre (Chadstone) for the rest of 2015--it's just not worth the hassle!
 
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My driving needs are minimal and fortunately I live close to a liquor store, markets and retail outlets, so I will hire someone to drive me when the time comes...
 
78 in a couple of weeks and I'm starting to give this subject some serious thought. I drove for a living for many years, accident free, and was required to take a yearly defensive drivers course. This course has helped me avoid many an accident waiting to happen.

But now, I'm getting cataracts in both eyes and that needs to be addressed soon. I am still comfortable driving up north each year, a 1,300 mile trip. However, I will give up my license when I start doubting my driving ability. I know my limits.
 
I am 82 and still driving. I will until it becomes obvious that I can't or should not.

I have cataracts. The left eye was corrected 3 years past and the right eye will be corrected in Dec this year. It is easy and quick. It is covered by our medical insurance. I am sure at least part by Obama care and I have other insurance to help make payments. I am sure that some cash must come from my pocket too. That is fair.
 
My mother still drives every day at 90, but she has marvelous eyesight, excellent night vision (a heck of a lot better than mine) and good reflexes. She always has her route figured out in advance and will go out of her way to make turns using traffic lights instead of having to pull out in traffic. She's probably a safer driver than I am.....
 
The thing I notice with many drivers, not just old is that many have had bad habits their entire lives and probably never had a job that required them to drive a company vehicle and/or could've gotten them suspended or fired for something as little as a clipped mirror. Nor have they had any training even if a class or video as an adult. Without good habits yes older people won't have younger reflexes to compensate for poor skill, judgement or decision making.

Ironically one of the exercises I recommend to increase awareness is practice backing into a parking spot-perfectly. It forces the driver to use the side view mirrors which many drivers don't use especially those who never drove a van, truck or larger car. Also it's recommended that one back into a parking spot so you can pull out. Some parking lots and angled parking you cannot do that. There are too many that can't even parallel park-ick. The original accident is also one reason why I always park as far away as a I can. As long as I can walk even using a cane I try to avoid parking too close to the building. The closer the more foot and vehicle traffic and chance of an accident.

I know too many adult drivers who refuse to take any classes, watch videos or read anything on driving because they assume they know it all but they don't. They are zombie drivers not thinking using bad habits and shear luck. Everyone needs or should have their skills refreshed if not enhanced on occasion.

It is heartening to see bystanders jump to render aid to a stranger.
 
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